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Victor Davis Hanson
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The Dying Citizen: How Progressive Elites, Tribalism, and Globalization Are Destroying the Idea of America Kindle Edition

by Victor Davis Hanson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 4,339 ratings
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The New York Times bestselling author of The Case for Trump explains the decline and fall of the once cherished idea of American citizenship.

Human history is full of the stories of peasants, subjects, and tribes. Yet the concept of the “citizen” is historically rare—and was among America’s most valued ideals for over two centuries. But without shock treatment, warns historian Victor Davis Hanson, American citizenship as we have known it may soon vanish.

In The Dying Citizen, Hanson outlines the historical forces that led to this crisis. The evisceration of the middle class over the last fifty years has made many Americans dependent on the federal government. Open borders have undermined the idea of allegiance to a particular place. Identity politics have eradicated our collective civic sense of self. And a top-heavy administrative state has endangered personal liberty, along with formal efforts to weaken the Constitution.

As in the revolutionary years of 1848, 1917, and 1968, 2020 ripped away our complacency about the future. But in the aftermath, we as Americans can rebuild and recover what we have lost. The choice is ours.

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  1. Print length
    433 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Basic Books
  5. Publication date
    October 5, 2021
  6. File size
    1901 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A wake-up call for our countrymen who want to preserve the American ideal for future generations.

-- "Rep. Devin Nunes"

Hanson weaves together history, philosophy, and contemporary headlines to diagnose our current woes and to remind them that the cure lies in what is best in them and in America.

-- "Senator Tom Cotton"

About the Author

Victor Davis Hanson is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is a recipient of the National Humanities Medal.



James Edward Thomas is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08W9LL41M
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books (October 5, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 5, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1901 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 433 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 4,339 ratings

About the author

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Victor Davis Hanson

Victor Davis Hanson

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Victor Davis Hanson is a senior fellow in military history and classics at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and a professor emeritus of classics at California State University, Fresno. He is the author of over two dozen books, including The Second World Wars, The Dying Citizen, and The End of Everything. He lives in Selma, California.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4,339 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the content very insightful and profound, with easy-to-understand prose. They also describe the reading experience as outstanding and fantastic.

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Reading experienceContentReadabilityAuthorPace
84 customers mention "Reading experience"84 positive0 negative

Customers find the book an outstanding, excellent work, and a must-read for any patriot. They say the chapter outline is sound, but the execution could be more. Readers also say the book is fascinating, alarming, and convincing.

"...An important book at this moment in American history. Incredibly well researched and written...." Read more

"...It's an excellent read, the author bases his statements on facts and figures that are documented in the end-notes...." Read more

"Well written about a difficult subject Excellent book on what is now happening to the American citizens" Read more

"good read" Read more

64 customers mention "Content"64 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very insightful, masterful, and truthful. They appreciate the thoughtful presentation, careful analysis, and productive dissection. Readers also say the book is comprehensive and detailed.

"...No matter where you stand on this, it's excellent food for thought." Read more

"Very well written, thoughtful presentation regarding the challenges facing our country today." Read more

"The author, whether speaking or writing, always presents a unique perspective on every topic covered...." Read more

"Victor lays out the case for Dying Citizenship in an extremely thought provoking manner...." Read more

52 customers mention "Readability"41 positive11 negative

Customers find the book easy to understand, excellent, and accessible. They also say the arguments are clear, backed up by countless examples, and the problems are clearly spelled out.

"...An important book at this moment in American history. Incredibly well researched and written...." Read more

"Very well written, thoughtful presentation regarding the challenges facing our country today." Read more

"...hugely important (and frankly scary) occurrences in an incredibly clear manner...." Read more

"Not an easy read. His sentence structure is powerful and complex. So it is not a “quick “ read...." Read more

4 customers mention "Author"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the author brilliant and one of the greatest authors of our time.

"...Victor Davis Hanson is a very gifted , brilliant historian with a passion for sharing wisdom and understanding." Read more

"...He is one of the greatest authors of our time." Read more

"Victor Davis Hanson is brilliant!..." Read more

"Brilliant Thinker and Great accomplishment!..." Read more

6 customers mention "Pace"3 positive3 negative

Customers are mixed about the pace of the book. Some find it timely, while others say it's slow starting.

"speedy delivery, book as described. Perfect!" Read more

"...From a manuscript point of view, the production seemed rushed. Though the chapter outline is sound, each chapter's execution could be more powerful...." Read more

"Timely and profound..." Read more

"...It is not a fast read, but it is worth a citizen'!s" Read more

Incredibly cheap publishing--unreadable
1 out of 5 stars
Incredibly cheap publishing--unreadable
I was looking forward to reading this but a good section of the book has half pages stuck together. Baic Books, the publisher, needs to have way better quality control. I'm going to try to return this but it should never have been shipped like this.
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Top reviews from the United States

Johnny Photo
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Well Written Book
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2024
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As we continue seeing the devaluing of actually being a citizen of our nation, many problems are unfolding. I doubt Russia, China, Japan, Korea, Iraq, or most other countries would be moving toward non-citizens being given voting and other rights. It's impacting those who pay taxes and support our nation's infrastructure. Regardless of anyone's opinion, the objective impact on crime, national debt, and many other areas is being seen in major cities across our nation. No one can deny the value of becoming a citizen, related to respect and investment in America. An important book at this moment in American history. Incredibly well researched and written. No matter where you stand on this, it's excellent food for thought.
2 people found this helpful
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SKJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2024
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Very well written, thoughtful presentation regarding the challenges facing our country today.
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Texas Bob
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read.i highly recommend
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2024
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VDH gets you thinking! A great read for anyone concerned about our country and its current direction. Reading this book in August 2024 that was written in October 2021 is especially alarming. We are seeing happening in real time what he wrote about three years ago. The America we were taught about in the 50s and 60s is about gone. Sadly the people in their 20s now will never know it.
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King Tut
5.0 out of 5 stars VDH hits the nail on the head with this book.
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2024
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The author, whether speaking or writing, always presents a unique perspective on every topic covered.
Prior to reading this I was of the opinion our country is in a time of great peril and could elaborate extensively on why that is felt, but VDH takes it down to the granular level and makes an indisputable case
for the title. I have passed this on to my closest of friends and acquaintances with no complain or criticism on the content. Every American should be aware of this book, read it, think about it, get involved!
4 people found this helpful
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USAF Veteran
4.0 out of 5 stars Dense and articulate essay on the engineered dying of the middle-class American Citizen
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2021
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The author, Victor Davis Hanson, using all his erudition and intelligence, details in 346 pages of dense writing and 50+ pages of footnotes the dying off of the average middle-class American citizen at the hands of Progressivism, Tribalism, Globalization and a well-funded elite who no longer consider themselves as Americans but as a ruling class beholden to no one.

I would strongly recommend that you also watch the short series of recorded lectures by the author found at the Hillsdale College website called, "American Citizenship and Its Decline" which I found even better than the book.

Hanson, author of several dozen books, is an eminent historian and classicist whose books offer a wide ranging critique and comparison of historical and current demographics and cultural customs. He starts with the history of the concept of citizenship and then explains the forces trying to destroy citizenship today. He ends with a short epilogue chapter taking us up to the current time.

His warnings are timely and grave. Take this sentence. "Amazon, Google and Apple--three of the top-five market-capitalized corporations in the world--- in the same early hours of the same day, without warning and in a coordinated effort, blocked servers and apps used to access their upstart, conservative social media rival Parler."

Hanson can summarize hugely important (and frankly scary) occurrences in an incredibly clear manner. His footnotes are often extra proof and a short essay on whatever is being discussed.

According to Hanson (and political commentators from Socrates on down), the ideal citizen is a middle class American who is free in both a civil and religious sense, responsibly serving and voting and earning a good living, and is knowledgeable and independent. The book fills in the details and proof of these assertions.

A favorite part for me is the author's connection to the Central Valley of California where he still lives. I grew up there also, going to school, working summers at menial labor picking crops, and seeing the death of the middle class agriculturalist at the hands of the elite and the libtard government of what was once the best run state in the republic but is now a cautionary tale of how to ruin paradise. Hanson notes that California now has the worst schools, the worst infrastructure, the greatest disparity in income, and the most homeless and welfare recipients along with horrendous crime.

The writing can be dry and concepts can be overly repetitive. All in all, of all the books out there on current affairs, this is the one I would read first. 4 stars.
49 people found this helpful
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Robin
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2024
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Hanson discusses the problems being created in the US by unsecured borders, the country's elites, and policies that serve to divide us as opposed to uniting us. It's an excellent read, the author bases his statements on facts and figures that are documented in the end-notes. I highly recommend this book, you need to be aware of what's being done by the politicians that supposedly work for you.
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Jake
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding case made by the author.
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2024
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Victor lays out the case for Dying Citizenship in an extremely thought provoking manner. He ties in the history of citizenship with the current status of American Citizenship.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2024
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Well written about a difficult subject Excellent book on what is now happening to the American citizens
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Top reviews from other countries

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Doug Roseveare
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in Canada on December 4, 2023
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This book is in tune with the current situation all over North America. It is a must read for anyone who is concerned with how the traditions and heritage of North American life are being destroyed by the lack of importance citizenship holds with the radical progressives who love nothing more than ruining us all from the inside.

Victor Davis Hanson hit the nail flush on the head with this one.
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Carlos
5.0 out of 5 stars Lectura
Reviewed in Mexico on October 28, 2022
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Un excelente libro sobre la perdida de la clase media !
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xiaomei Li
5.0 out of 5 stars What a great book!
Reviewed in Germany on May 29, 2024
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I read this book with a great shock. I am not a English native speaker, but I can not help myself reading the book without any stop. Mr. Hanson clearly described the status change of America. But I saw the same or worse situations in Europe. It is eye opening book for me.
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Claude Medeot
5.0 out of 5 stars The Dying Citizen
Reviewed in Sweden on March 19, 2024
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This book reaches very deep into "civilization" as it influenced the America Founders and their attempt in creating an "experimental" government to prevent the present illness that is now destroying it internally. The book exposes, with indisputable evidence (well footnoted) the corruption withing the government and those politicians who have been dismantling the Constitution to obtain their own personal goals and ideologies at the expense of the nation.
It exposes by their greed and corruption how they've deliberately allowed "tribalism" and division to take root in the USA and use it as a political tool to seize power at the expense of its citizens.
This is a must read for those who can and that intend to vote (with proof of citizenship) in the American presidential election coming this November 2024 so you understand who must be voted out of government.
Most American people are not aware of the danger that their country is facing and this book will clarify and shed light on their lack of knowledge to hopefully guide them in preventing America from becoming a Banana Republic.
In saying the above it would also be good for any European reader to understand how a similar mechanism is at work in their own country and will lead to the same negative result.
Vive la République
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Jonathan Baldie
5.0 out of 5 stars A warning call we would all do well to heed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2021
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I may be one of a few regular listener of VDH's weekly podcasts here in the UK, but I've always been impressed by his ability to quickly and effectively analyse current affairs. The Dying Citizen is no exception to this. Though it is a long book (I both read the Kindle edition and listened to the Audible audiobook) it is full of biting analysis of the dishonesty and corruption in America, which has knock-on effects on the UK's prospects.

Read this book with an open mind, and you will be surprised at how dishonestly the news media has been treating issues of great important to the West's future prosperity and safety. It may make you angry, but it will be an anger at how much we have been misled by those concentrating corrupt political power in their hands, and making us hate each other - doing real harm to vulnerable people. The Dying Citizen is a great reminder of where we have come from, and what we can lose if we don't hold onto our precious liberties.
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